LONDON – At 36 years old, Marin Cilic remains a key figure at Wimbledon. He says not much has changed since he debuted as a teenager in 2007, but one innovation at the All England Club has left him disappointed.
The Croatian rejected Wimbledon’s decision to replace line judges with artificial intelligence.
“Honestly, I don’t like it. Line judges are part of tennis family,” Cilic told a small group of media in London, including CLAY.
“Many of them once played or deeply love this sport. Becoming a chair umpire is very hard. You have to go through junior tournaments, nationals, Futures, Challengers… You start as a line judge and work your way up. Getting to Wimbledon is a huge achievement. And now all that is gone,” lamented the 21-time ATP title winner.
“When Hawk-Eye came, it was great for tennis because it prevented disputes over crucial points that could be decided by referee mistakes. But with it fully implemented, it erases a family, a whole group of passionate, experienced people who did their job very well. Honestly, I don’t like it at all,” he admitted.
Wimbledon was the last tournament on the pro tour to still use line judges, but the British opted for tecnollogy. Some traditions die, even at Wimbledon.
Cilic, one of the most notable players of his generation, is playing in London close to his prime. This Saturday he defeated Spaniard Jaume Munar 6-3, 3-6, 6-2, 6-4 to secure a spot in the second week of the year’s third Grand Slam. In the second round, he had pulled off a big win over local Jack Draper, the world No. 4.
The Croatian lost the 2017 Wimbledon final to Roger Federer. And although he—along with Novak Djokovic, Carlos Alcaraz, and Matteo Berrettini—is one of the four men in the 2025 edition who have played a final, the organizers don’t give him special privileges.
Before the tournament started, Cilic had to train on courts outside the All England Club.
“Well, I’m part of this group that’s not seeded. I felt like a junior again because I had to train across the street. It was the first time this happened to me,” he said, laughing.
The 2014 US Open champion and former world No. 3 returned to Wimbledon after missing three editions. Cilic started 2024 ranked 1044 after suffering a serious knee injury that sidelined him for the entire 2023 season.
With great love for tennis, he fought through Challenger events to regain his best possible form. That same level is what he’s showing on the grass courts in London, where this Monday he will face Italian Flavio Cobolli for a spot in the quarterfinals.
